Arch support for footwear



` May 9, 1933. s M, NlCKERQQN 1,907,995

ARCH SUPPORT FOR FOOTWEAR Original Filed Jg'uly 1l, 1930 @www ` Patented May 9, 1933 remera FFICE STACY M. NICKERSON, OF NEVTON CENTER., MASSACHUSETTS ARCH SUPPORT FOR FOOTWEAR Application led July 11, 1830, Serial This invention relates to arch-supporting means useful in remedial treatment of various anatomical weaknesses or defects in the human foot, and particularly to an arch support which includes a resilient sheet metal shank piece, supported by the top surface of a portion of the insole and having a resiliently yielding top surface suitably diversified to adapt it to act as a remedial or lo corrective support for the shank portion of a foot bottom, means being provided for interchangeably locating differently formed and characterized shank pieces in a predetermined operative position in a shoe, so that a salesman in a shoe store, or the owner of a shoe, may combine with. the shoe such forms of remedial or corrective shank piece as may be required..

Of the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 shows in longitudinal section a portion of a shoe having an arch support embodying the invention, said support including a resilient metal shank piece and a top or sock member.

Figure 2 is a top plan view, showing the shank piece in its operative position, and the top member displaced and the major portion thereof broken away.

Figures 3 and 4 are enlargements of portions of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the shank piece shown by Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Figure 6 is a section on line G-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified shank piece.

Figure 8 is a sectional View, showing a modified top member secured to the modified shank piece shown by Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary View hereinafter referred to.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

12 designates the portion of the insole of a shoe which extends rearwardly from the ball, said portion including` the shank and the heel end.

13 designates a curved shank piece of resilient sheet metal, preferably steel, having No. 467,228. Renewed. .July 20, 1932.

any desired remedial or corrective form as to its top surface and a curvature more abrupt than that of the top surface of the shank portion of the insole, so that the ends of the shank piece are adapted to bear on the insole and yieldingly maintain the major portion of the shank piece spaced above the shank portion of the insole, as shown by Figure 1. Said major portion is free to yield to foot pressure, its yicldingly depending on the degrec of resilience or stiffness of the shank piece.

The shank piece yieldingly supports a compressible and conformable top member, which bears on the upper surface of the shank piece and, in this instance, is composed of a relatively thick body layer 14 of cushioning material, suoli as felt or rubber and top and bot tom layers l5 and 16, of thin and relatively tough sheet material, such as thin leather, cemented tothe body layer, the bottom layer l@ bearing on the upper surface of the shank piece.

The top member is conformed by foot pressure to the shank piece and is detachably secured thereto, so that differently characterized arch supports may be provided by'using differently characterized shank pieces. The top member shown by Figures 1, 2, B and 4, is permanently connected at itsforward end so to the fore part of the insole, so that the portion thereof bearing on the shank piece may be raised from the shoe, as indicated by Figure 2, and by dotted lines in Figure 1. The shank piece may therefore be connected with the top member while the latter is raised. The forward end of the top member may be cemented to the fore part of the insole, if desired.

A desirable means for detachably connecting the top member with the shank piece is shown by the drawing and includes stud members of a well known stud and socket snap fastener attached to the top member, each stud member including a slitted compressible head 18, attached to the top member by means including rigidly connected an nular flanges 19 and 20, between which portions of the top member are clamped. The lower anges 19 bear on the lower side of 100 the top member, and the upper flanges are spaced above the lower flanges.

The insole 12 is cut out as illustrated by the perforations 17 to provide recesses for the shank-piece-attaching heads 18.

r)The shank piece is provided with orifices 21, constituting sockets in` which the heads 18 are insertible, said sockets compressing the heads while they are being inserted, so that when the heads are inserted they expand' and yieldingly resistv apull tending'to withdraw the heads. Then the heads are fully inserted, the flanges 19 bear' on the' shank piece and support the flanges 20 raised above the shank piece and projecting upwardly in the shoe.

rlolimit the upward projection of theupper flanges 20, and prevent them from causmg uncomfortable protuberances on the up-` per surface` of the top member, I form the4 socket orifices 21 in downwardly projecting integral bosses integra-l with the shanlr piece 13, said bosses forming annular seats 22 surrounding the orifices`21 and ofsetdownward from the upper surface of th-e shankpiece, the diameter of said seats being such that the lower flanges 19 enter the bosses and bear on the seats, asbest shown by Figures 3 and 4'. The upper flan-ges 2O are thus so depressed' that they do not cause4 upwardly projecting protuberances on' the' upper surface of the` top` member. Figure 9y shows ay protuberancer which would be formed on said topv surface' if the shank piece' were not provided with' the downwardly offset seats.

The top member and shank piece' may be confined in their operative position in shoe by any suitable means, such as the connection between thelforward portion of the top member and the fore part of theY insole, and complemental fastener' members including' a stud member constructed as above described, and secured to` thel heel end of the top'l member,- the head 18a of said member1 engaging' a socket member 24 in the heel endl of the insole;

Y The rear end of the shank piejce' 13is1p'ref-- erably provided with a forwardly extending recess 25, located between two tapered rearwardly extendingarms 26, constituting the rear end ofthe shank' piece. The' recess 25 is formed to expose the forwardportion of the heel end of the insole', or in other' words, the forward portion of the seat for the wearers heel located directly under the heel bones' of the foot; The arms 26 do not extend to the 'rear end of the insoleso that the exposed heelseat of the insole is approximately cir'- cular, as shown by Figure 2, The' top in'er'n'-V ber has a heel portion projecting over the recess 25, andbearingon and conformingto the entire' exposed heel'se'at, as shown by Figure 1. The heel seat, defined in part by the' recess-25, and the heel portion of the top member lconforming to the heel seat, therefore adord a comfortable support for theY heel bones of the foot, the arms 26 being sufficiently resilient to somewhat yieldingly support the portions of the heel end of the top member bearing thereon.

The forward end of the shank piece 13 may be provided with a rearwardly extending recess 28,.as shown by Figures 1,2,3 and 4, said recessbeing located between two'tapered forwardly extending arms 29, constituting the forward end of the shank piece.

rlheV recess 28 is formed' tof expose a part of the ball portion of the insole located directl'y under themetatarsal bones of the foot.

A portion of the top member extends forward over the recess 28, and conforms to the margin ofsaid recess, so that sa-idmargin and the portion of the top member bearing, thereon ecmstitute a c 'mfortable support for the metatarsal. region of the foot bottom-f. W'hen such support is not required, the recess 28 may be omitted,as shown by Figure 7.A

The top member and shanlepiece may con-v stiltute arch-supporting members adapted: to be loosely insertedy iu and removed from the shoe, the top= member having. no direct or permanent attachment tothe insole, and the shank piece being provided with integral spursv 30, asy shown by Figures 'Zv and. 8,. adapted to indent the insole and confine the shank piece and top member in an. operative pesitifonf inv the shoe.

The li'nea: in Figui-e 4t, indicates the maximum length of the exposed heel seat, or in. otherwords, the distance between the extreme rear portion of the heel end of the insole. 12 and the extreme forward portion of the' recess 25, the recess considerably increasing said distance,

rfhe line fr; in. Figure 3, indicates the maximum length of the metatarsal supportmg portie-meer in other words, the distance-between the extreme rear portion of the recess 28 and-the' portion vof the" top member at the forward end of the metatarsal supporting portion, this distance being considerably 1ncreased by the recess.

I claim:

1. An arch support comprising a flexible sha'i'i'lrf-pieceA ofv resilient1 sheet metal curved or arched so that its end portions are adapted to` bear on the insole of a shoe and yieldingly maintain its major portion spaced above the insole,- said major portion having downwardly projecting integral bosses centrally apertured to form stud-engaging sockets surrounded by annular seats offset downward from the upper surface of the shank piece, and a compressible top or sock member con` formable to and bearing on the top surface of the shank piece and provided with stud members separably engageable with said sockets,fand attached tothe top member by means including rigidly connected upper and lower annular clamping flanges between which material of the top member is clamped,

the lower' flanges entering the bosses and bearing on said seats, to limit the upward projection of the upper flanges, and prevent the formation of protuberances on the foot bearing surface of the top member.

2. An arch support comprising a curved shank piece of resilient sheet metal, curved or arched so that its end portions are adapted to bear on the insole of a shoe and yieldingly maintain its major portion spaced above the insole, the rear end of the shank piece being provided with a forwardly extending recess located between two tapered rearwardly eX- tending resilient arms, constituting the rear end of the shank piece, said recess being formed to expose the forward portion of the heel end of the insole, the extremities of said arms bearing loosely on the heel end of the insole at opposite sides of the recess, so that the arms are slidable on the insole, a compressible top or sock member conformable to and bearing on the upper surface of the shank piece and having a heel portion pro jecting over said recess, and bearing on and conforming tothe entire heel seat, means for detachably securing the top member to the shank piece, and means for locating the shank piece and top member in a predetermined operative position in a shoe, the resilv isnt arms yieldingly supporting the portion of the heel end of the top member bearing thereon.

3. An arch support as specified by claim 2, the forward end of the shank piece being provided with forwardly projecting resilient arms whose inner edges meet and define a rearwardly extending forward recess exposing a portion of the metatarsal supporting surface of the insole, the extremities of said arms bearing loosely on the ball portion of the insole at opposite sides of said recess, so that the arms are slidable on the insole, the said top member having a fore portion projecting over the forward recess and bearing on the metatarsal supporting surface of the insole, the resilient arms yieldingly supporting the fore portion of the top member and the metatarsal region of the foot.

In testimony whereof I have afHXed my signature.

STACY M. NICKERSON. 

